Another game, another blown opportunity for the Phillies’ bullpen. The Phillies must rebound and avoid the sweep today. They’ll rely on Joe Blanton, who is facing his former Oakland teammate, Barry Zito.

With the Athletics in the early-2000s, Zito was one of the top pitchers in baseball. He won the Cy Young Award in 2002. Since he joined the Giants in 2007, Zito hasn’t been the same player. He has failed to have an ERA under 4 every year, and has had seasons where his ERA was over five. However, Zito has been a little better this season, posting a 3.75 ERA.

Joe Blanton needs to build consistency. He will either do extremely well, or have a couple bad innings where he can’t escape a jam. He’s coming off a great start against the Dodgers, and he needs to carry that success into his next start, something he has struggled with all season.

Your Gameday Beer – Anchor Steam Humming Ale
Anchor Steam is a San Franciscan beer, so the matchup is perfect for the series. You can even get some Anchor Steam at Citizens Bank Park if you search for it, although I doubt they’ll have their seasonal blend, Humming Ale. It’s a very bold, hoppy ale and is released between August and November. It’s also fairly new, having first been brewed a few years ago. It has a beautiful, bright golden color and as all Anchor Steam bevies, you’ll likely enjoy the hell out of it. So drink that while the Phils play the G-men. – By Pat

0 Comments

Pen blows another one. No this one was on Cole and Fat slob Charlie. If Cole wants that money you cant give up 5 runs and a homer to a pitcher. Plus Charlie cant leave him in there to throw 119 pitches unless he knows he will be traded. Please do not give all that money for a pitcher or trade Lee away. This team has many holes.

I don’t think they have it in them to go on a 19-2 run. Letting games like yesterday and the final game of the Dodgers series get away can’t happen to a playoff team. But who knows….I’m just enjoying baseball, rooting for my team, and not getting stressed out about it. Not worth it.

Well, my curiousity got perked, so I checked back on the alluded to ’07 Rox by a couple peeps.

They actually won 14 of 15 to close out the year. They won 21 of 22 including sweeps of the Phils and Dbacks in the playoffs before the Red Sox cooled them off.

They did play 6 road games in that stretch, which was all against NL West clubs (not an especially weak division that year as it has been a couple times since). So the way they play on the road at times, it’s definitely to their credit to have accumulated wins at that pace.

Matt Holliday was the driving force behind carrying the offense, racking up near a .450 OBP, and 1.200 OPS in September, including the win streak, and preceding games. Tulo was a spark, but not like a couple years later when he hit something like 13 homers in 20 games, or some ridiculous ratio.

What the similarity of that club is to the 2012 Phillies is not real clear until the Phils exert themselves in similar results.

But I’ll say this about the Phillies. One, to a man, I don’t think there’s a player on the roster that thinks the race is over. Who’s on that roster by week’s end might have something to do with how close the Phils might even come to a Rockie streak. Two, if the Phils do catch fire at home somehow, which for what it’s worth, there seems little indication will happen, but the Bank can be an electric place, and if you come to the park expecting to win, you can. Third, one of my first reactions when Uncle Selig introduced the 2nd wild card was oh, great, now they have completely watered down the champagne celebrations. But if the Phils get in, it’d be the most justified champagne overkill since the ’69 Mets.

Okay, enough hallucinating. Doc V The Crew Monday night, and let’s see if they can move to 6-4 since the break, and get some (more?) momo off it.

i soooo glad they won! but not to seem negative it was just one win. they’re one game over .500 since the break. and with the trade deadline fast approaching and a decision on hamels looming i don’t see how they can be focussed enough to win many games in a row. then again stranger things happen! or should i say that the phils history is litered with wierd records good and bad so we’all stay tuned.

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